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Garmin® Updates Astro® GPS Dog Tracking System With The DC™ 50 Collar

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the
DC 50 – a new and improved GPS dog tracking collar that’s even more robust and reliable than previous models.

“From more reliable satellite reception to a more rugged design, the new DC 50 gives sporting dog owners what they’ve been asking for,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “The new DC 50 has the features that will bring the benefits of GPS tracking to first-time users, and will convince existing Astro customers to upgrade.”

The DC 50’s main housing sits below the dog’s neck while a low-profile, high-sensitivity GPS antenna is now positioned atop the dog’s neck, providing a clearer view of satellites. In addition to tracking GPS satellites, the DC 50 can also utilize the GLONASS system. When using GLONASS satellites, acquisition time is (on average) approximately 20 percent faster than using GPS. And when using both GPS and GLONASS together, the receiver has the ability to lock on to 24 more satellites than when using GPS alone. In practical terms, that means sporting dog owners will spend less time waiting for the collar to acquire satellites before the hunt, and the collar will better maintain its location even in heavy cover and deep canyons during the hunt.

The newly redesigned 22.5-inch long VHF antenna is made of braided steel that’s built to take any punishment that hard-charging dogs can deliver. Hunters can track their dogs up to nine miles in flat, unobstructed ground as often as every five seconds. A shorter 18.5-inch antenna is also included.

The battery life of the DC 50 has improved over previous generations, too. At a five second update rate, the DC 50 will get approximately 26 hours of battery life when fully charged. By slowing the update rate down to once every two minutes, the DC 50 collar can get up to 54 hours of use. As a safety feature, the DC 50 also has a selectable Dog Rescue mode, which automatically switches the DC 50 to a two minute update rate when the battery is less than 25 percent charged – making it easier to recover a lost dog.

Product Features:

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